EyeBall

Eyeball or EB in short is a coined term for meet-ups of cyber friends or friends you met online through a common group or activity.

During my university days which was around 1997 - 2001, EB was the "in thing" but I never went to any EB. I'm not that active in the cyberspace before, but I often hear my bacthmates talking about "EB" that's why I know that it was the trend. I just started university then, I was a provincial lass (but not that naive of course since it's not my first time in the city) who got her first email address through the default student email address. That was the time I learned how to chat in MiRC and eventually discovered YM and Yahoo! Email. But I was never into blogging, I'm an old school, I prefer writing a diary the traditional way with lovely notebook and colorful pens. I wrote a lot, but now, those diaries are gone. After all, it's all about my past love. I started blogging years after my university days, quite late, maybe year 2003 or 2004. But it was a bitter blog that was full of negativity, I deleted it already ever since all the bitterness and negativeness was washed out by a new found love full of positiveness.

My first EB happened this year, here in Bangladesh. I just got engaged then and so I joined a wedding forum, the Weddings At Work or W@W. It isn't my first time in joining this wedding forum but I was not an active member then, unlike now, I'm active and I'm even friends with the other brides-to-be and the founder of the group too. So, my first EB was with a fellow w@wie. It was a short period of time since she was in a seminar, so we squished in our "meet up" during the lunch break. It was good that the venue of their seminar was near my office.

with Krystle at the Spectra Centre

Krystle is so sweet and soft-spoken but strong. She gave me a copy of the "W@W Primer". The booklet is really helpful to all who are planning to get married. It isn't a bible that you have to follow but it's a good read with all the tips and advices. I think, through Krystle, the w@w founder got to know about me. I still get starstruck with the founder :-)

Since I'm active in the group, it's just obvious that I attended another EB with them, and this time a lunch date organized in Manila.

It was also a mini birthday celebration of the w@w founder. And I was really starstruck that time because she approached me and asked about bangladesh and slightly about my lovelife. It was a fun experience meeting finally in person the other w@wies. I can say a lot of good things about this wedding forum and I think it deserves a separate entry.

My recent EB happened again here in Bangladesh. This time with a fellow blogger, who is also a Filipina and married to a Bangladeshi. Yes, two similarities that bonds us. I can't exactly recall how did we chance upon each other's blogs. I think it's through another photography group Litratong Pinoy. Too bad that group blog is already dissolved.

Mary and Maria

She and her husband came home for a vacation. She informed me about their vacation and we made sure that we will meet each other here in BD together with our significant others. I'm just so glad that they were able to squished us in their busy schedule. We met at Arong Gulshan 1 branch since that's the most convenient place for us to meet, I can do my shopping and at the same time, there is a cafe inside the store. They are both jolly persons and even H enjoyed their company. Even if it was our first time to meet each other personally and given the short period of time (I think an hour or so of chatting)it felt like I just met a long-lost friend. I'm glad that the meet-up went well. I had actually fears that we will not gel with each other coz I usually have this impression that other bloggers are snobbish :-)And, they gave us an advance wedding gift, a "scrapbook" :-) Now, I can compile all my printed Digiscrap :-)

I'm so glad meeting my cyber friends in person. I hope I will meet other foreigner bloggers base here in BD too, and maybe who knows, we will end up as good friends :-)

Random Updates

As I can’t get enough time and peace to compose a worth reading blog entries, I’m writing random updates again as usual.

I’m down to my last few days here in Bangladesh as I have plans of going home to the Philippines by the end of this month. I can stay here longer but I have prior appointment there and I want to meet my Canadian based relatives before they go back to Canada. As the day is nearing, I’m having mix emotions already. I miss them already especially H and I’m still here, what more once I’m in manila. I hope they can cope up well with my absence especially the lil bro as we literally spend most of the time together. But, I’m also happy that I’m going home and will be able to spend some time, that’s a minimum 9 months, with my family. I miss the little ones, they are both growing so fast into adorable toddlers and my 4th sister is having all the fun and enjoyment of taking care and playing with our niece and nephew. My niece is celebrating her 1st birthday next month so I have to be there, after all, I’m her godmother.

I’m happy that I’m going home but part of that is facing the reality of “job hunting”. I’m not familiar with the job market in the Philippines anymore, having spending the last 4 ½ years working here abroad. I’m praying that I can find a good paying job, somewhere that I can work effectively and can make me financially stable while saving some few bucks also. That savings will be helpful next year especially that we plan to go home to Vigan with my H and in-laws.

UPDATED:
Some pending stories that I want to blog about are:
*EB or eyeball with w@wies and fellow blogger.   Done.
*Wedding preps updates, mostly about the certificates and our pre-cana Done.
*Chittagong trip which is connected to the wedding preps.
*Some learnings and tips from fellow w@wies
*Updates with cooking and my Bangla lessons

Thank You for the Music

H is a man of few words. When he was just courting me, we were always on the mobile phone but he listens to me most of the time. He expresses himself through music. He doesn't talk that much then but he always sing a song for me. He either emails me a mp3 or bluetooth his favorite songs to me. Most of the songs are reflections of his feelings at the moment. And this particular song, hit me straight to my heart. It was the first song he gave me.


He gave it to me on our first date and he just bluetooth it to my phone. At that time, I'm not sure of his intentions yet, he just told me it's one of his favorite songs and he wants to share it with me. It was my first time to hear this song and I really like it. After listening to the song, I knew then that I'm very special to him. It became our theme song and he always sing it to me and he even danced with me while he was singing this song.

This is the first bangla song he sung for me and this is the first and the only bangla song I can sing. I learned it in one night and I sung it to him over the phone before he boarded the plane for India. He was amazed and in awe :-)

It's about a guy asking a girl if she is willing to join him in a boat ride even if he can't promise a smooth sailing ride.

Our love was complicated before and this was the song that was nearest to our feelings. I translated it to him and he learned it. The only Filipino song that he can sing.

I'm actually thinking of using this as my bridal march since I still feel the same "ipaglalaban ko ang ating pag-ibig".

While searching for songs for our wedding, he send this to me. And this is the first song I learned how to play n the guitar :-)


These are just some of our favorite songs.

Silver Lining

“There’s a silver lining in every clouds” (View from my ex-office window)

One month to go and I will be back in Manila. It’s not a planned vacation. It is actually not part of any of my plans. I’m a type of person who plans things ahead of time or maybe it’s more of day dreaming the future. It has its uncertainties as no one can predict what the future will bring but it relaxes me knowing that I have plans. I will do things and try to do things in the present that will come out with the end result that I planned. But, life is always changing; change as they say is the only thing constant in life. Sometimes, changes happens upon your decision which is always good because you can still plan ahead with the changes that you are planning but there are also changes by other forces, and that is inevitable and most of the time will leave you off-guard.

The owner of the company where I used to work made a wrong business strategy and decisions that cause the company a big loss and is now facing financial crisis. Because of this present scenario of the company, whose financial standing is not getting better yet, they decided to cut my service as I was the most expensive employee they had. And my boss told me the news at a very “ideal” time – a day before I go home for my quarterly leave. I was devastated. All my plans were ruined. I am prepared to leave the company by the end of November this year because my work permit is valid until then. I had prepared for it, arranged my budgeting, arranged my schedules accordingly, and I even got a new job offer from a different company exactly after my work permit/contract ends. But things changed, and it was devastating. I was upset and even shedding tears during my flight from Dhaka to Singapore. I feel lost; lots of things were in my mind. I am glad that my share for the wedding expenses is already covered because I have savings for that. My only worry is my other responsibilities. What will happen to me, to papa whom I’m supporting (his medications), and to my sister whom I share the apartment in manila? My vacation that’s supposed to be a happy vacation because I’m going to do the first leg of our wedding preparation was tarnished by this sad news. I’m glad I have a supportive family. They cheered me up and even told me that at least I will be able to focus in my wedding preps, I will be able to relax after all I’m not happy working anymore under the new management. And, there’s a job offer also for me this December from another company, so I just have to worry 4 months of unemployment –July to November. That is the silver lining – a time for wedding preps and freedom from the work/company burden.

I thought everything was okay. Until recently, the December job offer is cancelled. They told me they have to move the date because the company’s organogram is not fulfilled yet. There’s no COO yet so the business can’t be operational yet. So, they will move it again next year, latest will be August and the earliest they can’t assure me. I was again upset by this change. That is a year to wait, and things can happen in between. It’s something that I can’t really hold on to. So, now, we have to re-plan our next move. That means 9 months of separation, 9 months of long distance relationship and 9 months in the Philippines. Looking for a job here is not easy, especially that I don’t speak Bangla, and I need to find a job that will allow me to go home still in time for my wedding. Jobs abroad are not also feasible for the same reason. I need to find a job that will allow me to go home to Manila next May for my wedding. So the best option is to stay in Manila and look for a job there. Of course the pay will not commensurate what I used to receive here or what will I Receive in OFW contracts, but it is a job that will help me with my daily expenditures/necessities and will let me stay in manila also. H is also worried. I without a job is not helpful. He can support me but it is better if we both have work. And, he wants me to have financial freedom too. I re-packed my things again, ready for shipment. I can’t leave my business clothes here anymore because I won’t be back until next year. And if I have a good job there, then I might stay for a little longer after the wedding too. H is upset and so with his parents and cousin. I feel sad but at the same time happy that I will be spending more time in the Philippines before I settle down here. And who knows, maybe we will end up settling down in the Philippines.

At this stage, my life is full of question mark. Sometimes, there is exclamation point but more of commas. I don’t know why this thing is happening to me, to us. H is also facing a hard time in looking for a job because the previous boss ruined his reputation while the present boss, unknowingly tarnished H’s reputation also by implication. This coming 9 months will be the longest time that H and I will be away from each other. Not by hours, by roads, by buildings but by oceans. We will be in two different countries with two hours time difference. Sometimes I asked, are we doing the right thing? Is getting married now the right choice? Are we each other’s bad luck that’s why these things are happening? Sometimes I think, we are just about to start our life together and we are already facing challenges. Is our love for each other strong enough for us to withstand the challenges that are coming our way? I’m scared what our married life will be if I will not get a job, but I’m not scared of leaving him here. I’m not scared of the separation. I’m confident with our love. The 9 months is nothing compared to a lifetime with him.

So, what is the silver lining now? I will have more time to spend with my family, more time to play with my nephew and niece, and more time to enjoy Philippines before I settle down. After 4 years, I will celebrate Christmas in the Philippines with my family, celebrate New Year, experience the Holy Week, maybe get a chance to attend my Highschool reunion and enjoy life and have fun the Filipino way after all it's more fun in the Philippines! :-). After 11 years of working, this is my time to relax a bit, savor the moment and enjoy the last few months of being a bachelorette. I just have to find a job to help me with my expenses.

"There are no accidents - if it's appeared on your life radar, this is why: To teach you that dreams come true; to reveal that you have the power to fix what's broken and heal what hurts; to catapult you beyond seeing with just your physica senses; and to lift the veils that have kept you from seeing that you are already the person you dreamed you'd become. - Bo Sanchez"

Random Updates

In a hiatus for awhile, been settling things for the past weeks, and now I'm slowly picking up the pace of a "stay-at-home" fiancee. Since the beginning of this month and until the end of next month, I'm staying with H's family, as I can't go home yet to the Philippines since we are scheduled to have our pre-cana seminar on August 15th here in Bangladesh.

Progress in the preps includes only the collection of our endorsement letters to be avail to attend a pre-cana and H's confirmation certificate. Getting his confirmation certificate was a bliss, even with an incomplete name in the records and wrong father's name, the priest just corrected it and copied what is written in H's old baptismal certificate. If this is in the Philippines, for sure there will be arguments and discussion between the applicant and the parish clerk.

So far, everything is fine. I'm actually teasing H that this is a trial stage where I can gauge if i will like living with his parents or not, otherwise, i will run away :-)

For the meantime, here's an article I grabbed from the net regarding roles of the entourage

WEDDING CEREMONY:THE ENTOURAGE AND THEIR ROLES
Check out the entourage members' tasks to ensure you'll assign the right people.
Posted on: 01 November 2011
Author: Kristy Texon

On your wedding day, your entourage members will play supporting roles for the ceremony. Before you start giving out roles to your family and friends, check out the members' tasks to ensure you are assigning the right person.

PRIMARY SPONSORS
Legally speaking, the primary sponsors are entourage members you cannot do without, since they will sign your marriage contract. Traditionally, couples choose the same number of ninongs and ninangs, but there is no rule specifying that clause. Your primary sponsors will serve as your godparents, so choose people who can give good advise on your marriage. Find sponsors whose marriages you want to emulate as you grow older.

SECONDARY SPONSORS
The secondary sponsors are composed of the candle, veil and cord sponsors. They play roles according to Christian practices incorporated in the wedding ceremony. The candle sponsors will light the candles beside you; the practice symbolized God's guidance. The veil sponsors will place the veil over your head and groom's shoulder to signify that you are clothed as one, while the cord sponsors will connect you with cord to symbolize the binding nature of marriage.

MAID OF HONOR/MATRON OF HONOR AND BRIDESMAIDS
During the ceremony, the maid of honor --or Matron of Honor if she's married-- will assist you with your gown's train, bouquet and other needs. She could also sign as a witness of the ceremony. However, the role entails other tasks prior to the wedding. The maid of honor --ideally-- will help you accomplish other wedding related tasks like coordinating with the suppliers, organizing the bridal shower, packing for the honeymoon, and many other miscellaneous to-do's. The bridesmaids could help the Maid Of Honor with the tasks. To see other tasks assigned to the Maid of Honor, click here.

BEST MAN AND GROOMSMEN
When your groom gets cold feet on the wedding day, it is the best man's duty to calm down the groom. He could also sign wedding documents as a ceremony witness. Another important task of the best man is to safeguard your wedding rings until you use them for the ceremony. The other responsibilities prior to the ceremony are planning the bachelor's party, and coordinating with the other groomsmen. The groomsmen help the best man accomplish his tasks. To check other tasks for your Best Man, click here.

FLOWER GIRL
The flower girl's role is simply to shower the aisle with petals. As simple as it may sound, you still need to be discerning with this choice. Young member of the entourage could be fickle, and you never know when they'll have their tantrums.

RING BEARER
The ring bearer hold on to your wedding rings, but asking a kid to guard your rings is a risky idea. Don't give your rings to the bearer until he is about to walk down the aisle, or he might lose your rings. Another alternative is to have him carry fancy rings, and ask the best man to hold on to your wedding rings for safekeeping.

COIN BEARER AND BIBLE BEARER
The coin bearer holds the arrhae, which in Pinoy culture stands for promise of providence of the groom for his wife and future family. The bible bearer is present in secular ceremonies; the holds the bible aloft during the processional.

Souce: http://www.bridalbook.ph/wedding-articles/the-entourage-and-their-roles/

Why do I have lots of things

“You’re a tiny person and yet you have lots of things”

That’s the message my future cousin-in-law send me when I started sending my stuff to their place temporarily until I get another job and an apartment of my own. I’m getting shy already sending my stuff and I’m not done yet. Auntie keeps on poking me already with my things especially my clothes because it’s a lot. According to them, it’s more than whatever they have in combined.

Well, I have an explanation as to why over the years I accumulated lots of stuff. But take note, I’m shifting a whole house and not just a room into one room that I have to share even. I believe, anyone will make their room or in my case, a house into a home, something that they can say it’s their home or personal space even if it is just a temporary space for months or years. It’s innate to us to make the space our personal space. When you do this, you buy things or collect things to make it homey and a functional home. Even if you are alone, it’s still a house that you are making a home. And that is my case.

My apartment was provided by the company. Pieces of furniture and appliances were provided. They also included a set of dinnerware, spoons & forks, rice cooker, microwave, gas stove, pressure cooker, kettle, pot & pan, colander, knives, chopping board and ladle. That’s all! And so, through the years, I accumulated additional stuff to make my home more functional especially in the kitchen since I do the cooking and baking. I bought a local wok, frying pans one big and one small, wooden ladle for the nonstick pans, peeler, additional colander and mixing bowls, baking pans and molds, wine glasses, tea cups, whisk, food storage boxes and tiffin boxes (I love tiffin boxes) and other things. I also received a food processor and an electric oven. Through the years, I saved glass bottles and ice cream boxes to use as containers and food storage boxes. That’s how my kitchen stuff grew.



My house was bare and plain, the company provided a hideous curtains and bed sheets. So, I started buying bed sheets, I had 5 sets but gave the other 2 sets to my maid. The bed sheets sold here are flat sheet and 2 pillowcases, so I brought my old abel blanket from manila with me. And, bought new curtains also, I have 3 sets. And, I have a bolster and my stuffed toys Happy Gilmore (bear), Wallygator (alligator), Kiwi (koala), sputnik (turtle), Minnie mouse and Po. I also have cushion covers because my sofa set is plain and boring. I started buying house decorations locally and some from my trips in Cambodia, Kolkata, hongkong and mostly from Philippines. And, since Christmas is not a big thing here, I brought my Christmas decorations from manila. The walls are bare so I decided to hang pictures of my family, I bought frames and had my favorite pictures printed. And so that’s how I accumulated more stuff – the goal of making my house a home.



I also brought with me my arts supplies and materials, my photo album and scrapbooking materials, and that’s a lot of things already. I brought them with me because I intend to spend my free time doing scrapbooking. But of course, my planned life changes after meeting H, so the scrapbooking was halted and most of my time was spend cooking or baking or netsurfing or spending time with H. And, I bought books to read also – photography, fiction, arts, Bangla lessons. And so, my book collection grew.

And the best of all the best: clothes and shoes and accessories. That’s like a million dollar question to them why do I have at least 4 luggages of clothes when auntie has salwarkamizes and sarees that can be counted with her fingers and toes only. She keeps on poking me to give away my clothes. Something that I don’t have the heart to do so. I already discarded some of my clothes, the old ones that are 4 years old already and the others that H doesn’t like on me. Still, I have more clothes than theirs combined. My salwarkamizes and sarees alone are one luggage, but they don’t want me to give them away since most of it is their gifts to me. So, how about my western clothes? I really don’t want to give them all away because 1) good western clothes are not available here. I bought all my clothes from manila every time I go home, and in 4 ½ years of working here, I already went home 12 times, 2) all of it will be new again once I start working with a new company, and 3) not everyone wears western clothes here, so where am I giving it away?



How did I accumulate lots of clothes? In manila, I don’t have a maid. I wash my clothes and that’s every weekend, so I need to have extra clothes to last me for another week. With this in mind, I assume I will need to do the same thing here. But here, almost everyone can afford to have a maid and the maid washes the clothes every day. There’s a less chance for them to run out of clothes because the maid is washing the clothes everyday anyway, and sad to say, others repeat their clothes too the following day even without washing it.  I’m a designer and a working lady; I just need to be presentable all the time. I have to be dressed according to the occasion. And back in grade school, we learned the grouping of our clothes. There’s a proper clothes to wear on specific occasions. We have
1) pambahay or house dress/clothes
2) pantulog or sleepwear
3) panlabas or clothes for going out

And under the “clothes for going out” we categorized it again as office wear, party wear or casual wear. And then we have our summer clothes or cold weather clothes. I have my winter clothes here. So, I accumulated more clothes according to needs and occasions. I wear my western clothes to office, I wear fatau, shawl and jeans whenever travelling for official business, I wear salwarkamizes whenever I go to villages or visit other Bengali or dignitaries and I wear sarees whenever I attend Bengali weddings. And yes, even my salwarkamizes are coded, I have sets for casual outing and I have sets that are for office wear, something that a regular Bengali woman will not have because what I noticed here, they wear their salwarkamizes both for office wear, casual wear and sometimes party wear. They wear the same shalwarkamizes for summer, rainy or winter. It seems like they don’t have the “clothing group”. But, I know my colleagues have lots of clothes too because I’ve been to their houses. Yeah, I have lots of clothes but I believe it’s normal, only that, it’s not usual for auntie.

Updates

After two weeks of vacation, I’m back in Dhaka. It was a very hectic vacation with all the wedding suppliers left and right. The first week was schedule for suppliers meet-up, but prior to going home, I shortlisted at least 3 companies per supplier. And I scheduled a meeting with them already so that I can plan my itinerary ahead of time.

My goal was to book all suppliers who handle one event per day and those are the Photographer, HMUA, OTD coordinator, and gown designer. The gown designer usually handles more than one client per event day but since I’m an overseas bride, I want it done as early as possible so that I can do the fittings according to my scheduled vacation. I also attended 3 food tasting but until now I’m not decided which caterer to choose, so I’m planning to have a food tasting with a different caterer next time I’m in manila.

My criteria in choosing my suppliers are simple. I think it’s the basic guidelines also for all b2b. My criteria are:

1. Peso power: as we are working on a budget, we need to shortlist the suppliers according to their package rates. If it is beyond the budget, even if they have good raves and feedbacks, they are out of the list. I need to be practical especially with the recent changes in my work status. And, I really don’t like to splurge too much since this is a one day event, what’s important is the life after that.

2. Positive Reviews: of course they should have a good reviews and feedbacks. I f they are all negative feedbacks, I remove them from the list. If it is doubtful, I consider them but not the priority.

3. Customer service: I can’t rate them yet totally since I can only see their actual customer
service on the day itself. But the exchange of correspondence can already give me a gauge if they are organize and attentive. Sometimes, I can feel rapport thru exchanges of emails only. And also during the meet-up, did they follow up regarding our meeting? Are they late? Are they on time? Did they present well their services? Do they have annoying mannerisms? Do they bad talk someone else? Do they answer my queries nicely and correctly and explained it in layman’s term?

4. Attitude/Chemistry: it is very important that we have a good working relationship with the suppliers. If we don’t have chemistry, even if they are the best in their craft, it’s goodbye. We will be working together on my special day so a good chemistry is a must. And even if you very talented if you have an attitude, then it is goodbye also. I remember during an interview, the employer/interviewee told us applicants that between talent + attitude and less talent +without attitude, they rather hire the latter because a talent can develop and hone but an attitude, you can’t really change it. I want to be friends with my suppliers but I want also to keep that at a professional level, after all, I will get their services because they are professional and not because they are my friends.

5. Personal appearance: please, I’m not discriminating people but of course I want to be surrounded with presentable people with breeding 

6. Package and freebies: yes, the inclusion matters  every one loves freebies :-)

As much as I want to go to details regarding my suppliers and wedding preparation, my FMIL advised me not to post anything regarding wedding preparations because it is a bad karma. I think their belief is similar with their belief regarding pregnancy. Unlike in the Philippines where everyone is just so excited if they are expecting, announcing it to everyone even in the cyberspace, giving baby showers and sending congratulatory messages, here in Bangladesh, it’s not allowed. There’s no baby shower and no announcement of pregnancy. I ‘ll just be surprise to received a sweet from colleague whose wife just gave birth or a colleague who just gave birth. And if you see someone pregnant, you don’t greet or ask how is their pregnancy. In tagalog "baka maudlot".

ITEMS DONE:

• Photographer: they are heaven sent to me. He was referred to me by my university friend because he was the photographer during my friend’s colleague’s wedding. The colleague has good raves about him and she is recommending him also. I emailed the photographer and I was actually surprised to receive a paragraph answer per queries. It’s unusual because everytime I emailed a supplier, they have this “template type answers” to every questions. But this guy, he is so personal in answering my mails. I thought it’s just a sales strategy or sales talk, but after few more exchanges of email, I know that it’s a genuine customer service. And, small world it is, his partner was our student in the university where I taught for a year and we are both from Ilocos and tracing our family roots, we are distant relatives. Meeting with them was not a meeting but it feels like a get together. That was a very long meeting  I only got their Service Only Package but they are very accommodating with all my queries, and they gave me a wedding gift. :-)

• Videographer: I booked them thru emails. I haven’t met them in person. I chose them based on the positive reviews in the wedding forum where I’m a proud member. And I saw their sample works, and for a beginner, it’s good. I need someone who will document my event with a good quality without me giving my legs and arms.

• HMUA: had a bad experience with another HMUA that I was broken hearted because I really like her work but we didn’t jive so I let her go. The one that I booked was not even in my shortlists but a fellow bride recommended her to me. So I checked her portfolio and scheduled for a trial make up. I was happy with the results and she is a nice person. H saw the pictures and he’s okay with it too.

• Designer: he was not in my shortlist and I never read/heard about him in the forum, but a fellow bride Anna recommended him to me. He is one handsome gay  He was able to work around my budget and his shop is near to my place. MY entourage will not going to have a hard time going to his place for fittings. He used to work abroad. Though I noticed most of his designs have similar patterns, I just ignored it since I don’t know the other brides anyway  My first & second shell fitting will be this September, and hopefully, I will also get the groom’s mother gown so that FMIL can fit it also.

• Quartet: I first read about them thru another blog. And I checked their repertoire and they have an extensive list. They even have quartet arrangements for upbeat music like Moves like Jagger, Orion by Metallica. I was undecided to get a quartet or to get them even because among the shortlisted, they have higher rate. But I decided to get them when a fellow bride needs help in transferring her booking because they cancelled their Manila wedding, I want to help the bride and also, I really like their repertoire.

• OTD Coordinator: among the three, they are the one who presented their services pretty well and with poise. I just hope they will perform well because my sister’s opinion was “they seem delicate, they might not be able to perform well”

• Wedding Host: read good reviews about her and my photographer is also recommending her over the other one, good thing I’m a member of the wedding forum, and for that I got a discount 

• Cake: it’s included in the package with Oasis, so I just choose among their suppliers and I already gave them the image of my peg. And the flavor that I want.

• Endorsement Letter: I submitted the endorsement letter from the Chancery to Mt. Carmel and I also got my endorsement letter from Mt. Carmel for my pre-cana seminar here.

• Venue: seen the venue and it’s beautiful already but I wonder if I have extra budget for additional lights & sounds effects for more drama.Finally, I met my AE also :-)

IN PROGRESS:

• Photobooth: included also with oasis Package, I already selected the supplier, will need to choose lay-out and backdrop design.

• Caterer: I went to three food tasting for three different caterer but still I’m not satisfied. Will schedule again another food tasting with another caterer.

• Hotel Preps: since my sister is the events manager in this hotel, so I decided to book them so that I can get additional discount. I’m still waiting for the final quotation but I gave her already the blank cheque.

• Invitation: selected the designs and colors already but I don’t have the final list of entourage that’s why I didn’t book them yet.

• Program: the emcee emailed me a draft of the program already. Yeah, we are early hehe.

PENDING:
• Bridal bouquet & entourage flowers: need to finalize the pegs so that I can get the final costing.
• Cake Topper: I gave the pegs and still waiting for the designer’s feedback if she can do it or not.
• Wedding rings: maybe will check it next month
• Documents: I have until September to complete the documents from here so that I can bring it home with me by September and submit it to the Chancery. Once I’m back in Manila, will apply for my own documents.
• Pre-cana seminar: we are planning to attend this July or August.
• Entourage List: I need to finalize them so that I can advise them already for their fitting schedule.
• Bridal Car: i'm considering of getting a "Car For Hire" instead of renting an actual "Bridal Car", it's cheaper and more practical than hiring a car for four hours only whose rental fees is almost equivalent to 1 day rate of "car For Hire"


So far, I think I'm doing fine in terms of progress and pace. I really hope we will have more progress by next month.